Lakers News: L.A. Still Considering Terry Rozier Trade
With your Los Angeles Lakers reeling, it appears the team is still open to trading Russell Westbrook to a variety of its previous summer targets.
As had been previously reported, L.A. was considering adding the 6'1" combo forward during the 2022 offseason via a deal that would have sent the expiring $47.1 million contract of Westbrook in exchange for Rozier.
Charania notes now that Charlotte, currently 2-1, may be open to joining the "Tank-O-Rama For Wembanyama" should the club falter at some point this season. For now, the Hornets are doing well, but their good luck may not last long. Charlotte's best player, LaMelo Ball, is dealing with a Grade 2 ankle sprain. Its third-best player, Rozier, just missed the team's game yesterday with a sprained ankle. The team's second-best player, Miles Bridges, has been accused of some pretty heinous off-court behavior this summer, and is currently away from the team.
2021 No. 11 lottery pick James Bouknight is also out on bail after being arrested for driving while impaired on October 16th. So there is plenty of time for this team to fall apart.
Through his first two games this season, the 28-year-old Rozier is averaging 23.5 points on .395/.400/.875 shooting splits, along with 8.5 assists, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks.
Given how terrible Westbrook is as a jump shooter, it's certainly worth highlighting that Rozier is a career 37.6% three-point shooter on 5.7 triple attempts. His 40% rate on 7.5 looks this year is a pretty terrific start.
Though no one would really be trading for an asset when it comes to the Westbrook money, the Lakers' two tradable future first-round draft picks in 2027 and 2029 could represent some of the most appetizing elements on the market. If Charlotte's season is really going south, would it be willing to unload the contracts of, say, Rozier (making a reasonable $21.5 million in the first season of a four-year, $96.3 million deal)) and the oft-injured combo forward Gordon Hayward (earning a generous $30.1 million this year and $31.5 million next year) in exchange for Westbrook and the two future picks? Were that to be on the table, should Los Angeles take the leap, even though it would mean the team would be missing out on a lot of 2023 salary cap space?
This write thinks that pining for a 2023 free agent should not be the priority. L.A. has certainly had plenty of successes in recruiting free agents (notably with LeBron James and Shaquille O'Neal) -- but plenty of failures, too (remember when Kevin Durant refused to meet with the team in 2016?). Why not add some depth and shooting along the perimeter for a team desperate for both?
